In recent years, the concern regarding exposure to infective agents has increased. In particular, there is increasing concern over nosocomial infections (commonly referred to as hospital acquired infections). A variety of organisms may be responsible for nosocomial infections, such as, but not limited to, bacteria, viruses, fungi and other parasitic species. Exemplary bacterial species responsible for nosocomial Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, enterococci, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). In the United States, it has been estimated that as many as one hospital patient in ten acquires a nosocomial infection, or 2 million patients a year. Estimates of the annual cost range from $4.5 billion to $11 billion. Nosocomial infections contributed to 88,000 deaths in the U.S. in 1995. One third of nosocomial infections are considered preventable. Common infections are urinary tract infections, wound infections, pneumonia, or blood stream infections. Nosocomial infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality, and represent a significant economic burden to third party payers and society. It is important that health care providers take the necessary and appropriate means to prevent these infections.
Of particular concern are cases where the nosocomial infection involves agents that are resistant to currently used medical therapies. For example, in the case of bacterial infections, MRSA is of particular concern. MRSA is a strain of S. aureus resistant to the .beta.-lactam and cephalosporin antibiotics. Resistance is conferred through a mutated receptor on the bacterial cell surface which prevents the antibiotics' transport inside the cell. MRSA infections are on the rise in the U.S. In 1999, there were approximately 127,000 cases of MRSA reported in the U.S. In 2005, the CDC reported that there were over 278,000 cases of MRSA in the U.S. Deaths from MRSA are also on the rise. In 1999, there were 11,000 deaths reported from MRSA compared to 17,000 deaths in 2005. MRSA imposes a serious economic toll as studies have shown that patients infected with MRSA stay approximately three times longer in the hospital and incur three times the hospital expenses than patients without MRSA infection. Although MRSA and other such infections are difficult to treat once a patient has acquired such an infection, such bacteria may be eliminated from the healthcare setting through the use of agents that may not be well tolerated by the patient. Therefore, eliminating such organisms from the healthcare setting is of importance.
One source of nosocomial infection is the transmission of infective agents from a patient to equipment present in a healthcare setting, resulting in colonization of the equipment. Such transmission can result from exposure of equipment to a patient's blood and/or other bodily fluids or exposure of equipment to a patients exterior, such as, but not limited to, skin, hair and clothing. Furthermore, the equipment may be exposed to blood/bodily fluids/exterior of healthcare workers or friends and family that may be visiting the patient or others in the healthcare setting. Finally, equipment may be exposed to infective agents through ambient environmental conditions in the healthcare setting. Other types of exposure are also be contemplated.
For example, in a surgical setting, bodily fluids from a patient, such as blood, drainage from a site of infection etc., often contact equipment used in the surgical setting. Such equipment includes, but is not limited to, patient tables, patient table mattress and surgical instruments/supplies, including without limitation cameras, x-ray machines, microscopes and other diagnostic equipment. Such exposure can lead to the colonization of equipment by infective agents. Such colonization can increase the incidence of nosocomial infection in patients present in the healthcare setting. Furthermore, colonization of equipment can also lead to infection of others present in the healthcare setting, such as but not limited to, friends and family and healthcare workers, allowing these infections to be spread beyond the boundaries of the healthcare setting.
The foregoing is equally applicable to other environments in a healthcare setting, such as a private home, post-operative recovery area, emergency room, patient room, diagnostic area or doctor's office.
Despite the abundance of products available for the control of transmission of infective agents to equipment in a healthcare setting and control of the resulting colonization should such transmission occur, transmission and colonization, along with the resulting impact on health and healthcare economics, continue to increase. Therefore, the prior art is in need of improved devices and methods to reduce or prevent the transmission of infective agents to equipment present in a healthcare setting and to reduce or eliminate colonization of such equipment if such transmission does occur.
The present disclosure provides addresses the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a novel anti-infective protector for use in a healthcare setting.